I get a kick when I see "last chance shopping tips" in the newspaper circulars and TV commercials. Is Christmas upon us already? When I look at the calendar, I am reminded that yes, the world is indeed going on without me. In one day, I leave for my Christmas vacation, and I haven’t bought a single present, I haven’t done much of anything traditional, nor do I feel mentally prepared for anything that I normally ponder over the holiday season.

So I guess "Last Chance" is my new mantra.

At work- which has pretty much taken over my holiday planning, "last chance" has become my motivation. This is my last chance to show that I can manage the logistics and planning of a week's worth of seminars, having never done one before. This is my last chance to prove that I'm worthy of more responsibility before someone else gets hired to do what I know I'm capable of.

At home- a place I hardly see anymore, the "last chance" mantra is more of a desperate plea to better myself. I look around and think that this is my last chance to do something crazy with my free time. I point at a map and think that this is my last chance to travel to see places I’ve never been to. I look at the scale and decide that this is my last chance to rekindle my discipline before my clothes start getting too tight. I look at my bed and think that this is the last chance I have to get sleep for the next few days.

In class, it's my last chance to pull grades up before the big conclusion. I have a nice solid B average, but would love to pull things to A's for the big shebang, and this is my last chance. I'm four classes away from graduating, and my last chance to get funding for 2004 is coming up, but I just haven't made time to do the work on that.

Other interesting last chance's in my life:

Nana turned 90 on Monday. Have I taken enough opportunity to call and visit her? Do I know enough about her to be able to tell my kids about their great grandmother? This is my last chance to do this kind of thing, as I am unfortunately almost certain she won't be around in another 26 years waiting for me to get my act together.

Mike graduates on Saturday, and this will be his last chance to be a student. He'll be forced out of the nest and learn to fly as we all have. I'm confident he’ll succeed, and look forward to seeing it happen for him.

Yesterday was my last chance to shave before the new year. Holiday tradition dictates that I once again take a step back from personal grooming to decide what I think about facial hair. I think I'm not going to like it, once again, but am willing to give it a real shot. It's tradtion. You can't mess with tradition.

This is the start of my vacation. I'd love to say I'm relaxed already, but I think that'll happen when the wheels go up on my way to NYC. Until then, I'm glued to the BlackBerry and still getting things done at the office.

I'm sure I'll write in soon, but in case it's after the 25th, have a Merry Christmas!!